The last quarter of the book is where this story started to pick up and interest me. It was enough to get me hooked into reading the remaining books in the trilogy. There is some good potential here, so I hope it continues to get better.

I really like dark romances and I have read a good number of them. For me, the key to a dark romance is a strong redemption or an emotional attachment to the characters or a somewhat believable story. Unfortunately, I haven't gotten any of that yet. I found myself unable to identify with any of these characters. In fact, I was kinda ranty in my status updates and lost count of how many times I rolled my eyes. Our lead female, Jules, would even realize she was being ridiculous and would call herself on it. So that was a little weird for me. The cluelessness came to a head when Jules started reading FSOG and was thinking that Anastasia was ridiculous. Pot, meet Kettle. Though this could have been included in the story to draw your attention to the similarities between the heroines - both 21 y/o virgins at the height of naivete. I preferred it when Jules fought back and stood up for herself... so I hope we see more of that in the rest of the series. I absolutely hated Nick and Jared, though I think we are supposed to. And I couldn't make up my mind one way or the other about Travis because we didnt really get any good info or insight from him.

So all-in-all, I say that there is some good potential here but its hard to review since the story has just started. I will definitely keep reading to see what happens next. And I have to say that this was well-written to be the author's debut novel. So don't let my issues with the characters put you off from reading... characters are like regular people, you're not going to like every one you meet/read.

I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. ( )

5 "Erotic Blyss" Stars. Wow, this is one hot read! Great suspense too. J.C. Cliff's ability to translate and describe sexual desire is off the charts. Moreover, the plot is fresh, will no doubt leave you guessing as to each individual's true motivations, and will have you clamoring for more! I rarely read one book in a series right after the other, but Blyss has me so captivated, I'm moving on to book 2 now! I can't wait to see how this story continues to evolve. My mind is churning with the endless possibilities!

Before I provide a background description, I think it is first worth noting that this is a "grey romance". In other words, it could be classified as a "dark romance", as it deals with difficult subjects like the sex slave trade, but it definitely falls on the much more lighter side of that sub-genre given that it is somewhat less taboo and gritty than other dark romance books (for example, there is no rape in this book).

Julianna Oakley, a college junior and the daughter of a rich entrepreneur, has never seen the need for her father's overprotective streak. Although she can have anything that money can buy, she is actually very much down to earth and is looking forward to paving her own way by having her own career. This is just one, in the many ways, that she demonstrates her independent streak.

At her father's request, however, she decides to indulge him with his latest request that she spend the summer before her senior year at home with him. Given that she has met the man that she plans to spend the rest of her life with, her fiance Adam, and will soon be married, she decides to grant her father this last opportunity to spend dedicated time with her.

Little does Julianna know that there is another man, Nick, who has also been planning to make her his own for a very long time. Nick, being a powerful and rich man, is used to getting what he wants, but he is leaving nothing to chance. Instead, he has been biding his time waiting for Julianna to turn 21, and has spared no expense at laying the groundwork for her capture to ensure that she becomes his and only his. The fact that he is uniquely suited for this endeavor, given he is the mastermind behind Blyss, the ultimate aphrodisiac, is just the piece de resistance, literally.

In his endeavor to own her and mold her into his very own blend of submissive, however, Nick not only utilizes Blyss, but also his best handler, Travis. Travis, is Nick's second in command, and is an exceptionally gifted manipulator. As he sets off to train Julianna, however, he begins to feel feelings he has never experienced before and sparks begin to fly.

Meanwhile, Julianna ever the determined one, remains resolute in her mission to obtain her freedom, even as she starts to question whether the intense feelings she is feeling for Travis are real or just a side effect of Blyss.

Sharing, however, was never part of Nick's plan; and as the battle between Nick and Travis escalate to new heights, Julianna gets caught in the middle. Soon everything she was beginning to accept as her new reality is shattered, and she is left with no choice but to plan her own strategy to obtain her definition of blyss. You get the sense, however, that this is only the beginning of the earth shattering secrets that lay in wait and that will need to be revealed before true blyss can be found.

This story blew my mind. J.C. Cliff is a master erotica wordsmith and has weaved quite a twisted world to round out her tale! I really enjoyed this lighter blend of dark romance, or "grey romance". I think I may have just found a new favorite romance sub-genre and a favorite trilogy to boot!

Source: Review copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. ( )